Hunter
by LazyChuckle
Summary: A take on modern girl in Middle Earth. Eleanor under very curious circumstances gets thrown into space, then into a sea and then into a cave. All she has is her pesky little smartass computer, and a Creature she only just met, that does not speak her language, What happens next? Well, first, she needs to check the hardware of her computer. Hopefully, she'll spill something on it.


Hello. My name is Eleanor and I'm an alcohol…

I wish that that was what I was. But, no. I was something much more unsettling, or rather someone unsettled - I was and am a scientist. We are never satisfied.

You see, us scientist always want to know the whats and whys, the ins and outs of everything and anything. We open dead people, turn them inside out, experiment on the bodies and at that, we feel curiosity. Not me though. I'm no expert in bio nor post-mortems. Thats my friend - Mary. In fact, for the better part of my life I felt queasy at the sights of blood. That was before I went to the army.

Actually, I remember once, in a lab work at school, the bio students from next door dropped in to say hello with sheep brains in their hands. They where whole and jiggling. Yuck.

No, my speciality is physics and, sometimes, chemistry. Only if its related to physics. Particularly, I enjoy nuclear physics, and as it happens, astro-physics and nuclear physics are related. Which is rather fun for me.

But why tell you all of this? Well, firstly, why not brag? Ahem. But apart from my somewhat vain intentions, this little fact about me has everything to do with my life as I know it right now, the end of the beginning, if you will. Cliche, I know. But hear me out.

In 2021 they launched a mission to the nearest constellation - Alpha Centauri. The knowledge of he technology that would allow this was hidden for many years from the general public. For which reasons? I don't know. I don't work for the CIA nor KGB. Anyways, the technology, alloys, the polarisation methods, efficient fuels and life support systems and many more are advanced enough to travel to the constellation in record time - one year. And you know all of those secret army bases blurred out on Google Maps? Yes, I had the 'pleasure' of working at one of those.

The base was located in… Siberia. Yes, yes. THAT Siberia. In Mother Russia. I mean, I'm part Russian, so I give no fucks. I'm also half Australian, so I give even less fucks.

Anyways, Siberia. Perfect, isolated location. Honestly, I will save you the details of my work on land, but I will tell you that I works mostly with waves and radiation (essentially, the same thing). I was also part of the substitute group of cosmonauts, in case the first launch of the shuttle fail. There was also another group after us. Its like sitting on the bench in the football. So when the first spacecraft blew up on the runway, turning into fireworks - our group took over. What can I tell you? YOLO.

And YOLO it was.

Our Starship - Pleiades - was making fantastic progress through the solar system. The systems of the ship were up and running. At one month we passed Neptune, as expected. Normally, at this speed it would take about 140 years to get to the nearest constellation, but we were still not done accelerating. At full speed we would reach Alpha Centauri in a year. Impressive, right?

Well, honestly, I wasn't so much the ship that malfunction almost 6 months later, but the navigation and observation team. As for me? What was I supposed to do? I'm a damn physicist! So once we got caught in the supermassive black hole, which, might I add, was easily avoidable, there was no going back. Once the ship started breaking apart, there wasn't much we could do. We threw on our space-suits as the red alert wailed and were making our way to the escape pods, but alas, time works differently in black holes, and sooner than we could blink, your time was over.

I can't say for certain that I died: in fact, I would strongly argue against that. I have my memories, my age, my identity. I remember drifting towards the black hole through space and then nothing.

In the scientific world there are countless theories on what goes on inside black holes. One of my favourites is the theory of separation of realities - in one reality (your original) you die, burn away into nothing, into less than ash, and the second reality lets you live, and takes to places. This is what seemed to happen to me.

Panic is a strong emotion. Panic is not an emotion compatible with my previous professions. Panic is easily suppressible, if you know how to suppress it.

Jesus Christ I just died.

 _Am I floating?_

 _Yes, totally floating in fucking limbo._

I will have to open my eyes sooner or later. After a few second of building up courage I finally manage to open my eyes, and to my relief find that I am on a body of mass that orbits only one start. I think. This planet might not even have a night time.

And… I am indeed floating, floating on a liquid that suspiciously resembles water. Looks like water. I lift my hand and watch the droplets fall from it. Acts like water. Could be Vodka for all I know.

"Computer?" i hope that nasty thing is functioning. Please, please…

"Hello, Elen…" I'm really, really relieved.

"Computer, is the planet suited for life?" And am also very stressed.

"Yes, the atmosphere consists of 78.09 nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.0…" So, this is a planet. Good.

"Is this water?" I interfered. I know the composition of air, no need to remind me.

"Probe sent," I feel the probe launch out of my computer-bracelet on my wrist (which is much more convenient that Apple watch, lemme tell ya) , that was once again floating on the water beside me.

As the probe snapped back into the bracelet, I waiting for a response.

"Yes. 3.5 percent salt solution." Thank Chin-Chin.

"Turn life support off."

I saw the protective glass of my helmet retract back into itself. The computer didn't even protest. What a day.

"Would you like to compress your survival-suit?"

"Not the torso, fill it with air."

The mobile platelets that made up my suit started to fold. At full compression the suit fit into a thin stripe onto of my belt.

"Torso inflated, as per instruction." It instantly became easier to float, considering I not long had to put any afford into it.

"Eleanor," I hate when that thing says my name, "I have checked the surrounding radio activity - no signs of active communicators. Your communicator is currently emitting a signal on common 5 different, most used wavelengths," the computer informed me in a lifeless tone.

Most used on Earth. Brilliant, considering I'm not there anymore, or we would have picked up something.

So. No life around me, at least not advanced, or life not wishing to inform me of its presence. An annoying ass computer, and an upcoming, imminent hysteria. Stay tuned, ladies and gentlemen.

"Is this salt water?" I inquire. Maybe I could drink it.

"As I have already stated, yes."

Not drinking water.

"Wonderful."

"I fail to see the appeal of the situation, considering…"

"I know, I know," I really did, "how long was I out?"

"Difficult to tell. The time in the black hole destroyed the time-space around us and I was unable to track time within the hole. I can, however, confirm you have not died, and I was able to track your pulse throughout the … incident."

For a computer that thing was incredibly narcissistic. Too many 'I's.

Alright, so, I know I didn't die. Heaven doesn't have annoying ass computers. Or maybe it does, I'm no expert. No that I even believe in heaven.

"My age?"

"24, as before." The sample of my blood was successfully taken and analysed in 30 seconds.

"Great."At least that means I wasn't in knocked out forever.

That this point there was nothing left but to 'sit up' and look around, which i did with reluctance, evident in a heavy sign. AS my body sank further into the water, thanks to my now vertical position, i though that I should probably check my medical condition. Although, the computer would have told me, if anything was wrong. And we don't have medication.

Instead, I rotated around my axis. I discovered that I was in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere. The weight in my heart doubled, and I struggled to remain in check of emotions that just wanted to surge to the surface. As before, stay tuned for that mental breakdown.

The next thing that hit me, was the fear of the ocean. WHO THE HELL KNEW WHAT WAS LUCKING BENEATH?

"Ok, ok, calm down," I told myself, "its only fish."

"I wouldn't be certain," the pesky little shi… "the planet my have similar composition, but different flora and fauna to that of earth."

"Meaning?" I regretted the question as soon as it left my mouth.

"If we take into consideration the fact that there are not radio signals - this planet is of class M. the planet has not yet developed a civilisation advanced enough to utilise them. High probability of class F creatures."

"Prehistoric sea monsters." Sharks on steroids.

"Essentially."

"You know how to comfort."

"Anytime."

I signed, and lied back onto the sea surface. There isn't much I could do right now. Although, the goosebumps rose, and there was a chill in my spine as I did so.

I cannot say how much time passed, without asking the computer, which I am not inclined to do, but it felt like an eternity. The sun of this planet was starting to set, and some time ago I was forced to put my space-suit back on, in order to avoid trench foot. The suit removes all moisture from itself though special vents.

Suddenly, I felt a wave pick me up and drop me back down.

This horrified me. There was something in this sea.

"Shield up."

The sheet of glass dropped back in front of my face and I was informed that life support was back online. Just in time. the next wave was 10 times the magnitude.

Surprisingly, the only thing I could think of in the moment that I was swept undercurrent by the 3rd wave, was the fact that this planet must have had some kind of high-tide time.

As I tumbled underwater, not surfacing a single time, I lost track of time. At first, I tried to swim up , but the waves kept crashing down on me, pushing me under. Deciding not to waste my oxygen, I saved my breath.

It felt a little like vertigo. Actually, in a way, it was vertigo, just not the type I was used to.

Blue twisted and twirled around me, with reflect of light. This left me some hope - I wasn't too deep underwater, with was good. As long as I had my life support on, I would be find.

Honestly though, if i though i knew panic before this moment - no I didn't. The demolition of our ship the black hole was different. We didn't have time to panic - we were all train for such an encounter and knew what to do. We had a purpose. Not I have none. I was completely helpless against this planet's ways.

"No way!"

My hand shot out in front of me on instinct, grabbing at nothing at particular, but the color of the water. It was muddy. Muddy! There was sand, I was near some kind of shallow area. Near land. What the fu…

I stopped tossing an turning underwater, and saw a massive rock, tall and very thin in front of me. I grabbed for it.

"No! No, no, no!" the water that brought me here was suddenly retracting. Along with me.

"No! SHit!"

"Computer, launch a rope!" I scream into the comm.

A rope shot out from my breast and wrapped itself around the thin pole of rock. The water continued to recede, the pressure on my front grew ,and I felt like I was in the black hole again.

Then the unthinkable happened. The pole snapped from the pressure.

Do you know the hands reaching out to grab something aesthetic on tumblr. Yup? Well, that was me and the pole, as I was pulled back by a force much more powerful then me.

I saw the pole snap. I saw the pole start to fall. Sliding of of itself it tumbled into the depths beneath me. There was no more sand. Must have been my imagination.

Beep, Beep, beep, beep…

"Shield up, as per command."

What?!

"Shield down, SHIELD DOWN!"

"Shield up, as per command."

Mind you I was still underwater when my computer started malfunctioning. Not too deep, as it turned out.

I took one last gulp of air, and promising myself to dismantle this piece of shit invention of a computer if i was to survive this, I closed my eyes.

As soon as the glass was fully out of my face I felt pain in my ears, because of underwater pressure. Yay.

I opened my eyes, and closed then immediately. I was going to fast underwater for hem not to hurt at contact.

Let me tell you something, what happened to me next should be an attraction in water world, because damn!

I was rapidly pulled up, like a kitten by it mom, my neck cracked at the force. Next thing i know - I'm in the air! I'm surfing on a tide! On top if it! The tide was about 40 meters high, but no matter. Bloody tsunami, thats what it was.

Mama, birth me back, because the moment I hit solid soil I was lost to the world.I screamed and laughed and screamed some more.

At some point (I'm really having trouble with tie, lately), I looked to the direction I came from. Jumping up to my feet I ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down. 39 meters! One meter less and I would be dead.

Just as I was about to turn around and leave towards somewhere were I could dry - those tsunami waves on this planet aren't a joke. Moments later, as i continued to stare, I saw the water rise again at the bottom of the drop. Rise in a very human-like for.

The water twisted into swirls and fed a great column of water rising vertically into the sky. As the column reached the hight of the cliff, it did not stop. It kept growing until finally, many average human heights later, it stopped and started to take shape.

The column looked like a human head, except instead of eyes and brains and lips and a nose there were creatures swimming inside the water. As light shown through the figure before me, I could see many creatures I could recognise - sharks, fish, colourful and dull, and even a single blue whale. But all that beauty was destroyed by the terror the face in front of me brought with its gaze. The face was not ugly, it was simply terrifying. Not in an aesthetic sense.

Eyes of water looked down at me, and eyelids of water covered the transparent eyes for a moment. As the eyelids rose, the face smiled. I felt my body decide enough is enough and I fell into oblivion.

But if you think this is the end of my shock, you are deeply mistaken, because the next time I woke up…

Where am I? I blinked at the cloudiness of my vision.

As my eyes adjusted to being active, I felt heat radiate from my right; I rolled my head in that direction, only to discover a fire, judging by the colour of it. Instantly I had to look away, because of its brightness. I closed my eyes again, and fell asleep once more.

The next time I awoke, the process was not much easier. The fire was still there, and as bright as ever. This time, however, I was determined to open my eyes, and, hopefully, get up.

As i starred up into the ceiling I knew was there, but could not see, I tried to think as little as possible about the events that I remembered. It was just what I didn't. I forgot things, never confronting them.

Slowly, I was able to see a ceiling. It was black-green-grey. Rocky and cold. A cave.

As my vision became clearer, I tried to sit up. This was slightly difficult, given that my body would beady listen to me.

A deep, melodic voice came from the other end of the fire in the cave. The voice rose and feel, as it said something. Sentient life. Good. Or, maybe, bad. Although I gotta give the creature kudos - that was the most melodic and pleasant voice I ever heard. What unnerved me was the fact that i could see the creature, but it could probably see me.

As I stared in amazement through the fire, I could see little but the outline of the creature on the other side. It seemed to be a sitting human. Bizarre.

The voice once again rose and feel, as it said something different, with a different phonetic structure to the previous inquiry, if the intonation was anything to go by. The creature was using another language.

I was half sitting, leaning back on my elbow and as I squinted into the fire, the creature seemed to sense my discomfort with not being able to see it, and rose. Looks like a Human.

The figure made its way around the fire. I contemplated running, screaming, different facial expressions and evaluated my acting abilities, in order to avoid getting harmed or provoking the creature. I seemed to have damaged my knee and spine, judging by the local pain.

As the Human? moved closer to were I was sitting, the light danced on the lower part of its body, illuminating little parts of the clothing (clothing!) the creature was wearing: Black leggings, brown (at least at the bottom) shirt. There was a belt. there were boots, by the looks of them - leather.

The stranger kneeled down in front of me by the time I finished my examination of the virtually impeccable human body, and, fearfully I lifted by gaze to look at the face. And oh my, was that a face.

The face was in no way human. It had human features, but it was not human. It was too perfect: Cumberbatch cheekbones, almost alien, with a long face. Big cat-like eyes with thick lashes and a round pupil, greek nose, perfectly symmetrical lips. In fact, everything was symmetrical. He wasn't human, but it defiantly was a HE.

He had long hair, that dropped down past his shoulders, I couldn't see how low exactly. The hair was midnight black, and if not for the red reflection of the fire and the shine from the illumination, I would have never seen it. There was not a single spot on his face, not a single wrinkle. The only visible ear at the side of his head, looked like folded flesh - it was a round shell that formed the shape of a leaf, with a peek towards the back of his skull.

My breath caught in my throat, as my head moved back from his crouching figure. I like this planet. Really, I do.

His lips moved to ask yet another question. He payed no attention to my reaction.

As before, I could no understand a single word he said, and realising that- your head is not only for a haircut, after all - he pointed to my neck and knee, and winced.

I decided that him wincing was just as attractive, as him with a poker face. But the message was clear: does it hurt?

I looked down at my knee and saw a white bandage that I previously failed to notice ,along with the fact that I was only in my underwear and bra. Yay. But fuck that, now is not the time to worry.

I nodded, my gaze locked on the knee, that then went back to Mr. Cheekbones. I nodded and winced.

He pointed to my neck. I tried to move my head.I found it hurt to move it around, but I nod.

He then demonstratively patted himself down - which, ahem, I wish I was doing, ahem- and extended his hand towards me in question. Does anything else hurt?

I awkwardly pointed to my back. He looked contemplating, but not surprised.

He got up and before he could extend his hand towards me to help me stand, I was already attempting to do so on my own. About halfway through the action, pain seize the left part of my back, and as it did I felt myself gasp and begin to fall. The Creature caught me before I could. ( No, really, I like this planet).

He carefully sat me back down on the make-shift bed I didn't even realise I was lying in before, and disappeared behind the fire once more.

To the sound of rustling, I took the opportunity to look around and get to know the area better. The cave was a moderate size, and very smartly chosen - had the cave been bigger, the fire wouldn't be able to warm it. Smaller, and it would have been burning hot. The entire cave was made of the same stone as I noted earlier, and for the first time I regretted not being a geologist. That would have been useful. The last thing I noted was my space suit - It was on the floor, in perfect composition to my left, by the wall. How did he manage to get it off?

"Ms. Eleanor!" My computer beeped to life. It won't be alive for long, I'll make sure of it.

"What part of shield down, don't you understand?" I mumble, recalling the earlier incident, and understanding that the computer would probably not be able to process my question.

"Shield down, as per command." I heard the window shield snap into place on my helmet by the wall.

"You are worse than Siri…" I sigh.

"Searching for…" I said Siri, not Search you piece of…

"…anatomical anomalies, " I interrupt, giving it a now command, "Search for any anatomical disfunction." Its absolutely impossible, how we have half decent conversations from time to time, and sometimes this happens. I need to check the hardware. And the software, for that matter.

"Scanning," came the short reply.

Once more, I left a needle stick into my flesh and draw out blood, as an electromagnetic pulse ran throughout me - an x-ray. I would take a manual look at it later.

"Reporting," said the computer after a while, by the time the stranger was standing next to me again, with something in his hand, looking rather baffled at the voice coming from my bracelet.

"Go on then."

"Group 2 knee sprain," its a miracle I didn't notice when I started to get up, "estimated full healing time - 2 weeks," destination fucked, here I come, "whiplash. Estimated recovery time 2 months. No anomalies in blood." I wasn't drugged. Thats good. Whiplash, 2 months. Can I have a one way ticket to destination fucked, please? Oh, I don't need one? Ok, then.

"And issues with my back?" I continued, patiently.

"Seized muscles in on the left. Treatable with a stretching routine, although not recommended, due to whiplash."

Figured. I looked back up at the beautiful stranger. He looked back at me.

Finding nothing better to do, and not about to explain to him in language of gesture what just happened, I pointed to myself and said:

"Eleanor."

Seeming to catch on almost instantly, he replied: "Mae govannen, Eleanor."

Although there was something dark in his eyes, almost… rage? Maybe sadness.

I looked at him with expectation. He stared at me, both comprehensive and apprehensive. Seconds of silence passed by, but not quite enough to make it uncomfortable. He was quick to recover, from what were it was he was recovering from.

"Maglor," he finally introduced himself.


End file.
